Muv-Luv: The Aliens of Past-Present
by EternalDragon77
Summary: Post-Alternative Universe AU. An AU where Shirogane Takeru still exists, and the Neanderthals, creators of the Beta, reside. In this story, the main OC comes from the Beta, intelligent and able to think for himself. He is one of many Beta born from a response to the Primary Objective being killed...
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

A galaxy full of stars, planets of unknown origin in the thirteen billion year universe…

On a faraway planet lit by planetary light, heated to the intensity beyond that of carbon-based life's tolerance, there laid many buildings where there was a race of people. To some, they were aliens. To others, they were of partnership in mating with human kind.

For those here who wanted a good way to look at themselves, they saw themselves as independent and a truly superior race. Their planet proved it, with light independent from the sun, maintained twenty four-seven. Silicone-based life was able to endure much heat, more times more than the average human can.

But beneath that layer of reality… was a race that was in a heated argument.

Some questioned why they made the aliens, most didn't. They were the mirror race of human kind. It could be said that they just didn't have much to go on at this point in conclusion to their alien's defeat. "How could the humans have been able to kill the Superior?" Lots wondered. Attending the Council of Orders, they were on the brink of destruction as their kind was dying.

An alien looked at the young-looking elder on the virtual screen made of extreme condensed heat. With elastic skin and lips, the elder spoke. "Hear me, citizens of our home Nanderthal. It seems the traitors have killed off one of our strongest creations, dubbed the Superior." Chatter broke about. People's eyes lit in response with flames of hatred as they stared hard at the image being shown.

In it, from the eyes of the last signal given from the Superior within the Hive, there was a floating fortress, dubbed the XG-70 making its way through the Carrier Beta. A young chestnut haired man pulled the switch and pressed the button to activate its beam.

From the conversation between the Superior and the one dubbed "Shirogane Takeru," it seemed that he was against their killing of the human race.

An ecosystem that was dying… Everything was vibrating from the talk and heat going above the norm. The Neanderthals, as they were called by the humans. They judged this human as a thorn in their side.

As to the reason why the planet was dying… it was because of the expiration date.

The Neanderthals knew their planet would expire someday. A self-sustaining planet that supplied everything from natural power to sustained light… These functions were failing. Their race was going to be wiped out soon because this planet… existed from the beginning of the universe.

Thirteen billion years… It was what humans called a "miracle" to have it for that long. Even the Neanderthals were amazed by this convenient planet.

As to how the self sustaining planet functions… that will come another time.

"No… This isn't good." The alien was pissed. "The generations have seen this debate over and over, and yet now they decide to admit it… Damn it, what has happened to our race? Has it really become this stupid over the years? We were such dumbasses. We were only borrowing from the planet, just like the humans have from theirs."

"Citizens, do not fear. Our planet will last as long as our lives will!" The elder spoke. "Our will lives in the aliens the humans dub 'Beta'! They will carry on our lives to the end, even if it means killing the entire universe!"

This is madness…! The alien grumbled as he saw the virtual screen switch over to Earth. "Our aliens shall take over the Earth and bring new seed to it! From that seed, we shall spring forth like leaves from trees!" Now this guy is just insane…! He begged to differ.

Body language, mouths… Every function was in madness. They were all going to melt and dissolve soon, whether they wanted to or not. They either died savages, or they died honorably. For the alien, he'd rather have died savagely instead.

According to the elder, their original DNA was implanted into the BETA… So if the alien died, then a new version of them would be born in one of the Hives throughout the stars.

He then sent a mental message to the universe in the form of a prayer. "Please, human kind, do not make the same mistake as us…"

Then, hours later, the people were consumed by the heat. Whether the planet was artificial or not, they would never know…

Author's Note: Who knew we needed silicone to actually have the stretchable skin and bones we have today? We need it to have healthy bones, good skin, and maybe a few other things. Plus silicone-based life would only exist on planets that are like ~600K hot (or whatever the K stands for).

Basically, the reason why we only have carbon-based life on our planet is because… the planet's probably like ~300K or something. I'm not a scientist, and doing this fan fiction, I found this very interesting, so… hope you learned something.

And carbon doesn't dissolve when it comes to water also. Silicone does so very easily, and is also not very good at combining with other elements and stuff, so go figure. Hence why silicone based life may be very rare in our galaxy. And why extreme heat environments work best for them.

Better not be Earth-centric when thinking about possible life on other planets. Not every planet is like Earth.


	2. Chapter 1: The Intelligent Alien

_**Chapter 1: The Intelligent Alien**_

A room… what is this room? It's so dark, yet it feels as if something took place here… I can't quite put my finger on it, but…

"What is this… liquid?" Tracing my fingers along the bubbles but missing, I gasp as I examine the room around me. I am enveloped in a bluish liquid meant to preserve a subject in a capsule. Was I… one of those things?

Looking around, I see my body is developed, but I can't remember… what happened before that. Was I just born with intelligence inside me? I can't remember, but for nothing, I try banging against the glass…

Nothing. Nothing happens.

The liquid is warm, yet cold at the same time, like I'm a subject and specimen of a mad scientist.

But what can I do but look around with my eyes open? My head feels like it cracked open a new one. But still can't get out. My head hurts that much, like I had received a knock to my head…

Why does my body feel new, yet I have this knowledge in my head? It feels as though this is the first time I moved this body.

Yet it looks older than it feels. I feel my way around, but there is only a top and bottom to this capsule. I can't get out without the mad scientist's permission, whoever they may be… I have a feeling I'm about to find out.

Trying to get myself out by pulling a magical switch from heaven, it seems that didn't work…

The door opens. Slowly, but surely, a scientist comes in. She takes her time walking in, staring… no, examining me. She is wearing a lab coat and has long purple hair. Those violet eyes of hers… they seem so enchanting, but the question stands: why is she so beautiful…?

Or because… She was the first female I saw?

Bubbles pass. It seems some bodily function of mine activated.

"Ara? Look who woke up in the doggy tube…" She mocks me for passing bubbles. "And it seems you're getting excited… Am I that beautiful to you?" She smirks.

"Now if you could just let me out—"

"Sorry, I can't do that." Immediately rejected. "See, you are an experiment of mine. You are one of the aliens we found in one of the Hives." Hives? What hives? Like hives where a honey bee mates with his Queen Bee? Or are you saying that I was born from your hives…? "Sorry, but I'm not the one who cared for you." ….

"Anyhow, can you at least let me out so we can talk?"

"No, we can do it here." She examines my body language and speech, yet I can see that she is intrigued by my knowledge of language.

But that aside, I have some serious questions for her.

"Professor, if I can say something…"

"….."

Looks like she's giving me the green light.

"…I don't remember how I got here, or how I was born for that matter. My body feels incredibly new, like it's fresh. But I seem to have some knowledge of how to speak and move."

"Interesting. You are an intelligent Beta like the Primary Objective…" Beta? What is that? "…But it seems you got hit in the head a bit there. I'm going to keep you in there a little longer. Yashiro." A little bunny girl appears from behind the door. "Keep watch over him, will you?" It seems the professor will be examining our interaction.

"Yes…" She's… pretty cute. But I'm not sure… "….." W-What're you staring at me for? Please don't do that. It's bad enough that the professor stared at me. Don't label me as some foreign object, okay…?

"….."

That white hair, those cute silver eyes, that black dress… It seems she has a small figure. How old is she, fourteen or fifteen?

"I am fifteen." Wait, she read my mind…? "….." She stares at me silently, still like a statue. How can she act like that? What happened to her? I don't know much, if any, of this world, but somehow, the memory of pain is inside me. I can't get it off of my mind. The searing pain, people dying by the millions… I feel like I've felt it all. Like I've lost a family and many friends…

"….." She frowns sadly, as if she feels my pain. It seems she understands where I'm coming from. A world where you have no friends, nobody to depend on, is worse than having a world where there are many enemies. "What do you… see?" Hm? Is she asking me?

"W-What is it?"

"….." She's silent again. What a cute girl. Now I made her sadder and my voice is shaking.

What is this? Fear? Anticipation? Enjoyment? Whatever it is, it is driving me to say something.

"Say, anybody close to you? Somebody you love? Because this is my first time waking up, and I can see you are very lonely. I'm lonely too; mind keeping me company?" I feign a smile. Smiling like this doesn't seem to suit this dark atmosphere. But yet not heavy because… I feel we can be friends.

"Hmm, interesting. It seems this Beta has feelings…" …..

"….." She still looked sad… but she inched closer towards this container. What a pathetic guy I am. I can't even inch towards her. Am I even a man…? Heh, this sure is funny, because I have a feeling the next guy would be jealous that a girl is moving towards me because I could bait her with carrots, and she would want it really badly.

Plus we're only just getting to know each other. Hence, the jealousy the person next could feel.

But I'm no lolicon. I am a nice, compassionate guy who believes that everybody should work together to defeat their worst fears and enemies. My fear is not knowing the unknown.

Somehow, it feels like this happened before, when I first saw the professor. She seemed really strange, really foreign to me. I have dormant urges to kill her, but I am intelligent, and my sense as one of these "Beta" seems dormant at the moment as well. Perhaps, I can help them, and they can help me. Trade one for another.

Simple.

"Kasumi…"

"Huh? What's that? Mist…?" She stares at me. "S-Sorry. M-My bad. I'm just nervous, that's all…"

"My name…"

"Hmm, Yashiro, Kasumi…" Piecing two together. "Yashiro Kasumi! I-Is that right?"

"Yes…" Not nodding at all, huh. Seems we're not friendly enough. "No…" Well, either way, it's alright. One stone at a time as they always say.

"Alright, hadabada…"

"Hada… bada?" She stares at me with every millimeter of steel. It seems she's taking this seriously.

"A-Ah! I-It's nothing! It's just… something I thought I would say whenever I'm thinking. Right?"

"Right…" Her lips move, but not wide. Seems she's the quiet type. Sound echoes in this dark wiry room. But…

Staring around the room, the color of my skin… It seems I've been here for quite an awful long time. My skin is pale white, and the reflection tells my eyes blue. A hint of mysterious color, along with long foxy black hair; the hair reaches down towards my lower back. Thankfully not my butt and all the reproductive organs are in place.

But I can see… I'm not getting anywhere fast. For now, I should talk to this silver girl. She feels so…

"Can I call you… Yashiro?"

"Kasumi…"

"K-Kasumi…?" First name already? Wonder why. "Alright, Kasumi, so… what's the outside world like?"

"The ocean…" What, an ocean? Why did she bring that up? "Somebody… gave me something that sounded like the ocean." Somebody? I can spot a little sad undertone to that word. That friend must have been very important… Let's see if I can explore that line.

"So… who was this friend of yours?"

"He was… a very important friend. He…" A "he"? Then it clearly must have been somebody important, but who…?

"Who was he…?" My urges tell me to be scared. But I ignore these urges and pursue my curiosity.

"Shirogane-san…" S-Shirogane…?! T-This feeling…!

"…!"

My vision is going berserk…!

Static. All I see is static. The only part of me that's moving… my arms and legs.

But… what is this sound I'm hearing? My primal instincts are activating. It sounds like… banging against the glass.

Am I the one… doing it? I can't believe it…! This can't be! Just when we were…!

"Get back, Yashiro!" The professor's face tightens, and she anticipates the worst. "I knew this would happen… Ever since the Primary Objective…" The Primary Objective? What is she talking about? Did it do something? Yashiro is scared and afraid, standing behind the professor.

"Raaah!" I've got to do something about this! I can't just…! Kuh, the glass is breaking…!

"…!" Yashiro is glaring at me powerfully! But… what is this sensation...! I feel like… I'm receiving therapy.

"Shirogane… Takeru…" I see the face… of a young man, with chestnut hair, brown eyes, an idiotic face of that of a true Eiyuu… that of a hero. I can feel… that he was a savior of people, no, of a world, a gift from the gods… He… saved me? "_Shirogane_!" But my body just can't calm down…!

"Yashiro, stronger…!" The professor is shouting. Why? Why is this happening…?

Shirogane… Takeru… Just who the hell is he? He feels so important… Could this be… my memories?

I see him smiling, laughing, and then saying bye to him at the end of the journey, even when he is crying and hasn't even witnessed the world being completely eradicated of the Beta yet… The Beta are…

"….." My gaze falls. My body lurches forward and falls into sleep.

"…good job, Yashiro. We have to assure he…" The professor says as I black out. Yashiro seems to say something, but I can't hear…

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Inside a Dream**_

"….."

A world full of black. Full of darkness. I can't see anything but chaotic swirls of darkness.

The interior of my mind… is this a dream?

This landscape… I feel like it isn't there, yet it is.

Just what is this?

"—Why did you invade Earth?! Why are you fighting humanity?!"

"Earth… acknowledged. Invade… no match. Fighting… no match. Humanity… no match." It seems the chestnut boy is confronting the alien with nothing but words and a giant fortress…

"Didn't you come here to attack Earth?!—Aren't you fighting with me right now?!"

"Attack… no match. Me… acknowledged. Fighting… tentatively acknowledged." It seems the alien is talking through Kasumi.

"―You've been attacking us since we got here! And what I did to you just now was an attack―Put those together and you have fighting!" This feels so familiar…

I wonder why?

"Fighting... tentatively acknowledged. Attack... no match."

"The higher existence has enacted preventative measures against great disaster from your existence. A part of your existence separated from your existence and moved at high speed and contacted the higher existence." Was I actually… one of them?

"―The higher existence "contacted" our existence at high speed too! That was an attack!"

"Attack... acknowledged. The higher existence needed to attack to prevent great disaster. Fighting was necessary to prevent great disaster." A-Are these… tears?

"―Prevent what great disaster!? ―You're the invaders! Don't "contact" us with parts of you!"

"Deny. Great disaster is to be prevented in advance. Invader… no match." Damn it! Just what the hell is this feeling?! I don't even know either of them!

"By invader I mean you! You've been killing us, humanity, on this planet! That's why a war between existences started!" Humanity…?

"Killing... no match. Humanity... acknowledged. War... no match."

"―Killing means taking away life. A war is fighting that goes on for a long time!"

"Killing... acknowledged. War... acknowledged. The claim that the higher existence performed killing on Earth is untrue." What the hell?! That alien is clearly trying to kill them now…!

"...what was your objective in coming to Earth?!" Do I really want to know?!

"The higher existence's objective is the retrieval of materials." That's… right…

"―What do you do with those materials!?" And yet the man is shouting… I wonder why…

"Send them back to the planet the higher existence came from." Yes, that's right…

….

"….."

Silence. There is only silence in this dream world now. The vision has faded. Darkness covers the entire world.

I can only see emptiness. Void of emotion, only of thought processes and logical thinking. Now I see…

"…Damn it."

It's like… I never wanted to be born. I have knowledge, intelligence, but I don't want to…

Damn it, what kind of alien am I…?

XXXXXXXXXX

"….." A slow awakening. But only this time, I am in a different glass container…

Yet again, this laboratory… Heh, what the hell am I thinking? This world isn't so black and white. There is pain, agony, strife… Humanity is powerful for standing up to the aliens, but I do not know how long this has happened…

"Kasumi…" What day is it? Morning? Afternoon? Night? Whatever it is, she seems tired.

Now I understand. She has been… watching over my upbringing ever since I was brought here. Now I see… why we're similar. We were both created for a purpose, but not either one of us would want it if we were… normal.

"….." Her eyes are open. She is watching me without having fallen asleep. How long has she been up…? "I was sleeping." She was?

"A-Are you alright…?" She seems exhausted. What could have happened…?

"I'm fine…" Was she watching for my reactions…?

"Yashiro, good job." The professor is coming back in. Just what the heck is going on here…? "You were having a panic attack back there. You okay?" She says mockingly with a smile.

"Y-You…" I hold in my anger.

"Ara… It seems you also have those emotions. Interesting." She smirks but her smile soon fades. "It seems you were having a hostile reaction to the name 'Takeru'… Do you understand why?" Her face tightens up. Now I have to answer honestly since this hinges on my life here…

"…I do. 'Shirogane Takeru' was the one who saved humanity from the Beta…" As to why I didn't react as harshly this time… It's probably because she hooked me up with some drugs.

"Good…" The professor feigns a smile. "Then, what do you think of the thought of 'seeing the outside world'…?"

"Seeing… the outside world?" What do I think of it…? Emotions emotions… I am scared, yet my Beta urges want me to get back out there and kill everybody in my way… In a way, that is rather primitive of me, yet…

My mind tells me to. It is simple that I want to kill off the humans because of my urges, but ignoring those urges, the humans don't seem as bad as they do. I do understand what that alien said, but…

Somewhere in my heart, I believe there is a good chance humanity can overcome itself. With time, they will be…

So, as a fellow citizen of this world, I shall…

"…Yes." I say with adamant resolution. "I want to see humanity prosper. Although…" I feel my heart. "…I still have the urges to kill you all. It's itching to come back out, and with that said… How will you deal with me?"

"….." The professor is looking at me, staring at me while trying to find a solution. "…Have Yashiro near you at all times. We will rehabilitate you. Can you live with that?"

"…Ma'am!" I saluted with all my heart while I was inside the glass container.

"Please don't bother with formalities. I don't like them, you know." Sighing, her fingers pressed some buttons, releasing me from the container.

The only thought that occurred to me…

It was cold.

Author's Note: I was actually thinking of making the OC a pretty weirdly funny guy, if you know what I mean, but in a world like Muv-Luv, I think a more neutral, semi-serious semi ironic-ish funny would fit this more, and I like the way it turned out. Though you guys could have probably thought better than I did.

And I also used the English script of Alternative (by the same guys who did the translation) to get an idea of how they interpreted the character voices. I hope I did at least an okay job of getting it right. I'm not really good with characters, after all, unless I read a script where they come from or something.

And even then, I'm not good with character voices at all.

And also how strong the Beta are when it comes their attacks with lasers, grappling hooks, fort strikes, and stuff, it seems like… They have so much more silicone than humans and other organisms have, though they probably needed the carbon to be able to survive the treck underwater, hence their evolvement or adaptability or whatever you'd like to call it.

And also… I'm not a very good writer when it comes to details and coming up with all kinds of stuff to say in a story. I can't fit in very many words, and you may find this story lacking if you're looking for a long read. It is essentially a short read, and I can't say I'm a very good writer either.

Hope you enjoyed it though. I'm not very good with logical stuff either.

I'm also trying to get Takeru back into the Honor Guard… I guess. I'm thinking of using the guilt on Meiya's death and Yuuhi talking to him as incentive, though that may not work…

And if you haven't figured out yet, Takeru stays in this**_._**


	3. Chapter 2: Identity Given to the Alien

_**Chapter 2: Identity Given to the New Alien**_

**July 30****th****, 2003**

"….."

Dressing into a black tank top and blue pants I get comfy enough and step out the door.

Good, there is nobody else to see me when I come out. In this hall, the professor and Yashiro stop in front of a door adjacent to the one we came through. It seems this is her official quarters. "Yashiro, don't let him go anywhere. He will be vital to humanity's victory over the Beta. Understood?"

"Yes…" With a silent agreement, I enter the room before Yashiro.

"…What a mess. Is this what you call a 'living quarters'?" Books and documents upon each other… It was simply a mess.

Not much is needed to be said, but you get the picture. The professor seemed to not have much time on her hands, but that may be her superior habit at work, making herself stand out from the rest of the less intelligent… if she is not shamed by her habits.

"Oh? Making sarcastic remarks?"

"No…"

"Don't try to copy Yashiro. That won't work on me. Not like I'd need to stick a carrot in your mouth…" I bet she would. She knows I would never shut up about her beauty… sarcastically speaking.

"….."

Sitting in her office chair, I could see she was examining me… again. "Hm, it seems you have quite an attitude. Need me to teach you a lesson about respecting your superiors?" Ah, now I see…

"…Seems you're trying to teach me something worse than hell itself."

"Heh, you got that right." But I can't seem to smile though she is smirking. Seeing my facial expression, she sighs. "Ha… seems we have more than just your urges to fix. It seems you have personality problems."

"Personality problems?"

"Yes, it seems you have a facial weakness. Or that head of yours never learned to feel raw emotion." To blend in with humans, I needed to fix my problem. "And at this point, even though you'll be able to detect others like you, we still can't get the others to trust you without human emotions…" That was a serious problem. What if I got into an awkward situation where I fell onto a woman like her? Would I really say "hadabada" while thinking of something? No, that wouldn't be right… unless of course, I was a stalker. A stalker that would… hadabada.

"Hada… bada?"

"Huh? Are you saying that nonsense again?" She was getting annoyed.

"Okay, so… what am I?"

"Ah, geez… so you finally cut down your nonsense counter. You're no fun…" Did she need something? Her face reverts to serious. "Anyway, putting that aside, I figured out a name for your kind… It's the Sapien Class."

"Sapien… Class?" You mean a human? What the hell is she talking about?

"A Sapien Class takes on the form of those that they digest. They hide their Beta genes very well, enough to fool even blood tests, which is why you're here."

"So let me guess… You're saying only Beta can detect their own kind?"

"Yes…" Her stare suggests that she's positive but lacking in evidence. "Here, let me show you…" She took out a classified photo… of a rubber ball inside organic matter?

"Is that… me?" I should be shocked, but I am not.

"The specimen here is you. The Sapien Class is currently classified to the public and the Eishi." Eishi? Wasn't Takeru an Eishi?

"So you are saying that revealing this information would cause a mental breakdown of the human formation…?"

"Yes, you're right. Everybody would doubt each other and be suspicious." To think of the consequences would just be too… Just when humanity was winning against the Beta… "You are a byproduct of the Primary Objective's defeat by Takeru and the others."

"What is this 'Primary Objective'? And what is an 'Eishi'?"

"To put simply, an Eishi is a soldier who pilots a Tactical Surface Fighter, a TSF." She explains to me how an Eishi and TSF are related to each other.

"I see. And the Primary Objective?"

"That is the Beta from the Kashgar Hive who Shirogane defeated."

"So if Takeru hadn't done that, then…"

"Yes, you would never have been born." I seem to remember a similar feeling of birth, but where was…

"Right now, I don't care about the Primary Objective. How do I become able to deal with the other Sapien Classes and my own conditions as well?"

"Yashiro will help you with that." I turn back and Yashiro nods. "We will be keeping you at Yokohama Base for a while… until you can talk to the others very well."

"Yokohama Base?" She explains to me the dark history behind the base, and how the Hive Reactor was destroyed by none other than a fellow Eishi who sacrificed her life to blow it up. "Hmm… should I feel sympathy?"

"Yes, you should, but not right now. It seems you have too little to think about…" Saracastically spoke, huh. Seems I should get her to stop this nonsense of hers. Or I should change my own way of speech. "Anyway, Yashiro will guide you around the base and keep you in check. Should you ever need me… I'll be here."

"In this mess of an office? No thank you. You have too many photos of other men and not me around here. I got jealous."

"Hmm? Well said, Shizuka Faukusi. You're quite the man to say something like that." She smirks, and I inwardly grimace at that name she gave me.

_Quiet Faukusi… What a name. I'd like to appear in a book someday with that name… Yeah right, people would just say that I was a quiet stalker who could only say that one phrase "I'll eat you alive like a Beta!" while hitting their lips with mine. What a joke._

"…Is that my name?"

"Yes, it is. Don't you like it? Or unless you want me to beat it into you…?" A celebration is coming. Flowers are blooming. I can see my death coming from this grim reaper.

"…Anyway, how will Kasumi be helping me?"

"…I can't tell you that until I trust you. For now, keep her at your side no matter what, okay?"

"…Yes."

"Good. I'm writing up a report about your life, so try to blend in."

"…Understood."

"…And by the way, you're not like the other Sapien Classes. You're different." She stares at me for a reaction.

"…..You're creeping me out."

"I will tell you later. Prepare yourself."

"…Understood." I step out the door with Kasumi in tow. It seems today… I don't know what to say. What am I supposed to say? That girls will be flocking to me because of my hair? No way would that happen. I look really weird with this hair. My face looks young, but my hair is old. Was I born unique with natural gifts to look like a dork? What a weirdo…

And why am I insulting myself?

"….."

Walking along the halls, seems like the structure remains the same for a long way… This really is a military base then. She wasn't lying.

"Shizuka-san, do you like this…?"

"Yes, I do." Neutral faced.

"But you're not smiling… People are supposed to smile when happy."

"But you don't seem to be too happy either. Do you need somebody to feed you?"

"….."

Her face is a little distressed. Did I say something wrong? I try to think of something to say.

"So… Kasumi, are you saying you want to eat?"

"Yes." Oh, an immediate reply. Awkward, but nice. "Let's go eat."

"Okay… I figure there's a cafeteria around here, right? What do you call the military version…"

"The Post Exchange." Seems she knows about this more than I do.

"Yeah, that's right, the Post Exchange!" A light bulb lights up in my head, but quickly fades to the thought of having an eating contest…

Kasumi, a rabbit of unknown proportions… How much size can she handle? An inch in meat? A hundred bowls worth of girthy rice? I know she's young, but she must have the appetite… right?

"….." She looks pissed. Did I say something wrong?

"….."

**The Post Exchange (Afternoon)**

"….." It has become a staring contest. Kasumi and I are looking at each other to see who can pick out the best food in the PX… Ah, she's so cute. It's quite bright here with the sun, so that only makes Kasumi even cu—

"I will have two bowls of rice." Two bowls of rice, huh…

"Then, I will have three—"

"Four bowls of rice." What is she thinking? She can't handle that much.

"….." She's staring at me again, wanting me to concede to defeat, huh. I'll show her.

"Five bowls of rice."

"You're getting excited…" I look at her like she's my antagonist—

"Ah, Kasumi-chan, you're here again! And who's your friend here?" Her voice seems friendly, like that of an Oba-chan… I feel like Shirogane knows this person.

"He's Shizuka-san."

"Ah, yeah, pleased to meet you." I bow to her in respect. Why am I doing this?

"Ahaha, you don't have to do that! A gentleman like you should be more comfortable around women! Or girls your age like Kasumi-chan here!" Her laughter was whole hearted. Maybe I can make friends with her…

And Kasumi's staring at me again… But I can see a corner of her mouth going up. Does she want to smile?

"….." Oh, she smiled.

"Ahaha! You made Kasumi-chan smile! I think you'll make a great man and an Eishi!" I still… don't feel too happy about this. My emotions are still not developed, so I can't really smile as much. "Oh yeah, cheer up! Did you know that we won a very important victory pushing back the Beta?"

"Yes, I know…"

"Ahahaha! That's great! If you keep that in mind, you'll be happy when the aliens are gone! Cheer up! We're not going to be like this forever!"

"Yeah…" My own kind…

"Kasumi-chan, make sure he's happy, got it?"

"Yes…"

"I'll make you two the special, so wait a little bit, okay?"

"Yes…" Nodding, Kasumi walks with me to a table.

Seems there is one table not seated by any Eishi today. We head there and sit next to each other. We look like one of a kind together, don't we? A guy who looks like a fox who looks like he wants to eat the rabbit here… Maybe I should make a feast out of her?

"….." Stare…

"….." A minute goes by… seconds go by… It doesn't seem to end. This maze of stares… I can't seem to crack open the vault to Kasumi's consciousness… Crap, I can't seem to do anything…

"….." She's not giving up, but we both can keep it up.

"….." This is… awkward again. I can't do anything. If I even move my eyes away for one second, she'll smile, won't she…?

We stare at each other for a while until the Oba-chan calls out—

"Kasumi-chan! Shizuka-chan! The food is ready!" Kasumi's bunny ears twitch and we run over to see who can make it there first—

Kasumi is closing in on the food! What fast legs and feet! I am trying to make it there, but I can't seem to—

"Ah, Kasumi-chan, here you go." Kasumi smiles and I concede to defeat despite my facial weakness... "Seems you made it second. Not getting enough sunlight and exercise? A boy like you should be able to beat Kasumi-chan. Ahahaha!"

"Ha… Ha… that's not funny."

"Ahahaha! When you get to be as old as I am, you'll find lots of happiness!"

"….."

"Oh, cat got your tongue? Don't worry about it! For a late bloomer like you, you'll be happy later on in life! Don't think about too much about the bad things; think about the good things! That way, you'll be happy!"

"Sorry, Oba-chan."

"Ah, I don't mind it. Just call me Kyozuka-oba-chan like everybody else here, including the hero who saved us. I heard he joined the Honor Guard under our Shogun's command. I wonder how he's doing right now. I bet he's doing great."

"Shirogane… Takeru?"

"Yeah, Shirogane-chan! I heard he was a hero along with the others… I hope they're resting well after what happened…" She seems sad. Did she know Takeru's friends? "…Ahaha. Anyway, go eat your food! You should enjoy it while it's hot!"

"Yes."

"Understood!" I salute her.

"Ahahaha! You'll definitely be a great man when you grow up! Right, Kasumi-chan?"

"Yes…" A smile again. Much warmer this time.

"….." I stare at her, and she stares at me with a neutral face. Seems she doesn't like me very much. "I like you…" She does?

"Oh, Kasumi-chan! You're really getting along with Shizuka-chan!"

"…Huh, what made you change your mind? Aren't we rivals to the very end?"

"No. We are friends." Immediate answer. "I like you as a friend."

"Ah, that's good then…" I sound heartless, but I mean it.

Going to the table, I remembered how dark it was in the underground floors where the professor's office was. It was quite bright in here, especially because the light was shining in. It was currently the afternoon, and I saw that cadets were taking a load off from training. I wonder what it's like to be tired? I didn't feel that because I didn't feel anything except…

"Ah…" Is she feeding me the sushi we got? It seems to smell and taste good.

"…Really?"

"Ah…" No way out…

Gnawing and mashing the food in my mouth, it feels rather subpar compared to the real thing. Is this food made with artificial ingredients? But despite that, it's still very well made. No wonder why they call it the special.

"Yes…"

"What is it?"

"It tastes good…" Both nodding, we confirm each other's thoughts with a gesture. Seems we're forming a natural bond.

"Ah, I see… Thank you, Kasumi."

"….." No welcome? "You're welcome…" Hm. Seems she knows how to do things right.

Despite the fish being made like this… It still tastes good. It is a little rubbery, but I can handle that.

People were talking about us like we were the star of the show. Specifically the cadets. "Hey, isn't she a rabbit and he's a fox? Aren't they going to fight each other?"

And a girl said, "The rabbit is cute, but I bet he's going to eat her up when they're alone. You know what I mean, right? And why's his hair so long? Doesn't it get in the way?"

Another: "It feels like the hair can bend… what the hell is he? An alien?" Painfully so. "Plus he has pale skin, so that's not helping him any more… Is he one of the professor's experiments? Is he optimized for pleasure? Because he looks like a doll to me? Creepy."

"Geez, he's just like the bunny in that they talk a little awkward. Just how do they come up with words to communicate with?"

"Hey, watcha talkin' 'bout? I can see they're talking like normal people. Their choice of words and tones make it feel like they're interrogating each other. The rabbit even won the race against the turtle. Is that how they have fun? Because I honestly think it's cute…"

"A rabbit? Pishaw, more like a leopard won the race. I can see how they would be perfect out in the wild… But I'm joking. They would be prime targets of the Beta, but if they put on a costume, then… they'd probably just get rammed over by them." Getting rammed over by the Beta… That'd be pretty painful. If I were the usual Beta, then I'd eat you guys right up. In fact, I feel like it right now…

"W-What is he looking at? Us…? B-Beta eyes…!"

"Come on, girlie, he's just scaring you. I can't see—Beta eyes!"

"Come on, watcha dudes talking 'bout? Can't see anything happening… Foxy eyes?"

"Hey, why the hell are you so calm?! Look at his eyes! They're unnatural! They're like… dilated red instead of blue!"

"Don't see watcha talkin' 'bout, girl. I can only see cute foxy eyes on a hunt for meat… Probably you, girl."

"D-Don't joke about that! I could get killed by another alien rather than the Beta! Just fuck off!"

Lots of talk was coming about. One girl talked about the bunny, some found me, a quiet fox, as a really hot guy because of my pale skin that looks like a ghost's, to guys who would randomly spill out "Beta eyes!" and "That mouth will swallow my birth rights whole!" and other ridiculous stuff.

As long as Kasumi is with me, that won't happen. So… we gotta—

"Let's go, Shizuka-san."

"Right…"

To let the steam cool off from the rumors emerging from their encounter of us, we decided to go back to the underground and stay there for the rest of the day. We reported back to the professor during that time. "Ara? Back a little early, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"About that… we stood out because one was a fox and another was a rabbit. Apparently, it looked like one of us wanted to eat the other…"

"Yes…"

"What the heck? Who the heck would think I raised you to eat one of my other subjects? They must be crazy."

"And." I say this for one time only. "They compared us to a rabbit and a turtle. Apparently, I was the turtle, and Kasumi was the—"

"What~? So Yashiro won?"

"Yeah, disappointingly…"

"….." A moment of silence.

"….."

"….."

Why is she staring at me?

"AHAHAHA! Yashiro actually won?! What are you, an alien with tiny feet?!"

"Hey, come on..." Tears were coming out her eyes.

"Ah… so the rabbit won the race against the turtle. I never would've expected that."

"….." I kept silent and my reigns on my unfocused emotions. What is this? Is this what they call "anger"?

"Ah… it seems you're coming along. This treatment is working."

"….."

"And while you're at it." She stares at me for a few seconds. "Give yourself some backbone, alright? If you just let people toss you around, everybody's going to think you're some weirdo."

I nod.

"Yeah… you're right."

"Anyway, you two ate, right? I'll have somebody bring you food tonight, so relax. We have a lot to talk about."

"About… how I'm different, right?"

"Yashiro, you know what to do."

"Yes…" I stay standing, because there's no other seat here besides a sofa.

"What I'm going to talk about… is pertaining to the Cheorwon Hive in South Korea, the continent next to Japan."

"….."

"That is the first time we found you guys. The Sapien Class. The operation succeeded on April 10th, 2003, and now it's three months later."

Something was itching at me. "So… how was I different from the rest of the specimens the others found?"

"Pertaining to that… you were the cream of the crop."

"I was… what do you mean?" She puts a finger to her chin.

"It was strange. It was almost like… you had a set personality rather than a borrowed personality from the humans the Sapien Class would eat to become their food. You retain intelligence far higher than they have and you developed your own consciousness like a baby. But for some reason, you were growing faster than a human baby would, and you grew five years in one month."

"….."

"It's why I retrieved you as my specimen. You were truly one-of-a-kind, as people would say. That growth will not be slowing down anytime soon, and I think you might die of old age, so…" She stares at me. "Your voice… have you noticed that you have lots of hormones inside of you?" Why's she talking about hormones? "The fact that you overreact to Shirogane's name, the thoughts of a vengeful Beta combined with that and the lack of estrogen anywhere in the body… It all made sense. So I have come up with something unusual in human medicine… estrogen injections."

"Ah, I see…"

"Take these every morning and night. As to how I make these… you don't want to know." Probably she's a professor in morning and seductress at night "retrieving" sexual Betas to go out with… in bed. "And stop thinking of things like that."

"Okay… no, professor. You're going to be doing it to me in bed as well at night."

"Ara, it seems our little alien has some backbone…" A smirk. Yeah, that's what we needed now. But am I really that compatible with her…? Definitely a scary thought. "But as for how Yashiro will help you… I will tell you at the end so as to not compromise the treatment."

"….."

"Ha… you still don't have enough backbone. I wonder if love can change that…" Sighing, she is like a cupid who shot her arrow at a donkey instead of a cobra. A cobra can give extreme love, while the donkey could only say "Hee-haw!" I don't see where she's going with that one… "And try to respond to my jokes, okay? It gets boring talking to you, you know…"

"I'll try."

She nods. "Good, then let's continue. For now, you and Yashiro should sleep in this room or the other one. It's your choice." By "other one", she probably means that room I was sleeping in before.

"The other room."

"You sure? It's cold over there and deadly. Don't you want an older woman to watch over you…?" She's baiting me, I know it. Let's try to develop some backbone here.

"I'll take you up on your offer."

"Ara~, it seems we have a new candidate for—"

"….." A glare.

"Yashiro, what are you looking at me for? It's his choice."

"I'll pick Yashiro over you." Sorry, no thanks. I would not want to take a temptation from a witch like you.

"Ha… and here I thought you were going to pick me~. How disappointing…" She's faking it, isn't she? "Well, good night, in case we don't see each other again for today. I wouldn't want my specimen to go having nightmares about me, would I…?" There it is again. Faking it.

"No thanks. I feel creeped out by you already. Good night, professor."

"Goodnight…" Yashiro and I left the office.

"…You'll need it." I sense… a big foreboding to those words. Why would I need it? I have a bad feeling about this…

**The Brain Room (Night Time)**

Mm, this stuff actually tastes good. Raw eel, sushi… it's like the special we got today, except better. I wonder who made it? It certainly is a delicacy.

But there's something unsettling about this. The professor was the one who brought this in, not the person she told me about…

But I have a bad feeling I'm in for one long night…

"Ye-es Ma'am!" A salute beyond the door… This isn't good.

"Ha… How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like formalities."

"Sorry, Professor Kouzuki. I got carried away… Oooh, who's the Be—"

"Shush! Not so loud! Now go introduce yourself before I haul you back to the IJA!"

"Ye-es Ma'am!" The door opens… and out pops a chestnut haired boy like Shirogane, except his hair is wider. He's got quite the cheerful attitude despite being… what is he, sixteen or seventeen? "Cadet Tatsunami Hibiki here! Ready to rumble!"

…..

"Oops, did I say something wrong?"

"Ha… don't act like the Americans, Tatsunami. You're getting the flu, and your idiocy is going to pass on to me like Shirogane's."

"Oh yeah! You should be more like him! He's such a great hero!" Looks like he didn't hit past puberty... and speaking of that, he's pretty short to boot.

Dressed in a black tank top and blue pants, I thought he looked normal… at least.

I think he'd be more suitable if he was in the IJA, at least according to what the professor said. "So… you said your name is Tatsunami Hibiki, correct?"

"Ye-es sir! Your name is—"

"Shizuka Faukusi." The Professor answered. "He's like a silent fox, so don't give him too much trouble, okay…?"

"Yes, Professor Kouzuki!"

"…Cut it out already. I have a headache thanks to you…"

"It's my pleasure." He smiles. What an ass… I can't believe she picked HIM out of all the others…

But I understand why, given that he is a morale booster to the unit. Which soldiers did she pick…? She never told me that…

Looks like something else ticks me off. What a plague.

And why am I admitting this?

"Shizuka-san, you have such pale skin! You're really awesome! A Beta that can function like a human being…!"

"Please tell me you're not going to tell anybody else about this, okay…?" My hair involuntarily twitches. Looks like I have to become his Senpai… Seems I have something to talk to the professor about…

**Kouzuki's Office (Several Minutes Later…**)

"Professor, I'm not going to take those injections."

"Huh…?"


End file.
